Don't Mess with Time
by Hersia
Summary: Long ago, something happened that will, in time, destroy present day Swayclan. Icepaw has to go back in time to make sure that occurrence never happened, to save the world. And stuff. OC's.
1. Chapter 1

Icepaw growled as the brown furred creature she was stalking ran away. Fustration boiled inside of her. Why couldn't she just get one, just one, single mouse, or any other prey for that matter?

A hefty sigh came from behind her, and Icepaw froze, chilled. Oh no! Her mentor had been watching. What would Havensong say?

"Nice try, Icepaw, I think that's enough for today." That was certainly unexpected. Icepaw shrank from inside. Was Havensong so disappointed in her that she had nothing to say? Was she giving up on her? Icepaw gulped. Hopefully not.

Havensong flicked her long tail at her and nodded to the direction of camp. Icepaw sighed and followed, resigned. Hazelpaw and Slatepaw were going to tease her, she just knew it. Apparently, Havensong read her mind.

"If either Hazelpaw or Slatepaw try to harrass you, just brush it off. They could never do as much as how high you can leap," Havensong said, a slight smile on her lips. Icepaw breamed. Havensong had complimented her. Filled with a new sense of self-confidence. Icepaw nodded to her and sped off. Now that she thought about it, Hazelpaw couldn't outrun a turtle, and Slatepaw couldn't leap as much as high as a shrub.

Soon enough, Icepaw reached the camp, and she skidded to a stop. And SURE enough, too, Slatepaw and Hazelpaw were making their way to her. Hazelpaw had an endless smirk on her face, while Slatepaw just followed. He was like her second tail or something, Icepaw grimaced from her mind.

"Hey Icepaw," Hazelpaw mewed, twirling with a leaf in the air. Icepaw watched enviously as she flicked it gracefully, her beaufiful brown pelt shining in the light. Icepaw's would never do that. "I heard that you just failed to catch anything. Again."

"Yeah, that's true. How'd you find out, though? I just came back. Havensong's still out. Did you stalk us or something? Go get your own life," Icepaw retorted. Hazelpaw's eyes widened with fury, and she spat back, "Who said it was this time? I was talking about LAST time. You didn't catch anything then, either."

Slatepaw wasn't very helpful to Hazelpaw. "But you said "again..." but he trailed off with the mega-glare that Hazelpaw's icy green eyes gave him. He stopped at once. Icepaw frowned. She didn't want to waste time talking nonsense like this. She turned and stalked off, hearing Hazelpaw yell behind here, "Yeah, go away, cause that's just so polite."

And then Slatepaw's small mew, "But who said that you were ever in then polite lane..."

"Who's side are you on?" Hazelpaw hissed. Icepaw's ears flicked. Who's side WAS he one? Just last moon he was all, oh, mooning over Hazelpaw, but now he was uncertain. Icepaw smiled then. Perhaps he realized that Hazelpaw was just a jerk.

"Hey Icepaw," yawned a tired voice from below the canopy. Acornpaw's brown eyes blinked up at her, and Icepaw felt the first happy feeling she'd felt since this morning. Acornpaw, her best friend, was sure to be on her side. "what's up?"

Icepaw stretched. "You know, failing at hunting, cat-fighting with Hazelpaw, all that stuff."

Acornpaw's eyes glimmered. "Did you win?"

"Well, she kinda spazzed out at the end. I'd say yes," Icepaw purred. Acornpaw's gaze brightened. He then leaped out from under the bushes, and his darker brown pelt, the same shade as his eyes, was all fluffy and puffed out.

"Looks like someone slept in,"Icepaw remarked. Acornpaw blinked embarrasedly.

"I guarded camp last night," he mewed. He began to clean his fur, but ultimately failed to reach his back. "A little help?" he asked a bit sheepishly. Icepaw purred again. "Of course, you draft furball, you think that I'll just let you walk around like that?" She began to help him.

"Omigod, isn't THAT cute."

Icepaw's head snapped up to see Hazelpaw glaring at Icepaw. Her green eyes were flames. Icepaw's blue ones matched in intensity- of hate.

"Didn't I tell you that Acornpaw was MINE?" she snarled, right in front of Slatepaw and Acornpaw's identical shocked faces. Then she leaped at Icepaw, pinning her to the ground with her weight. Icepaw struggled futilely. Then she laid limp and wrapped her forepaw on Hazelpaw's leg and twisted. Hazelpaw, with a shocked yell, was spun around. She hit the ground with a dull thump. Icepaw, recovering, then leapt, aiming for Hazelpaw's belly.

"Icepaw!" came a very angry voice. Icepaw stretched her legs out in midair and landed on the floor. Hazelpaw was shaking and crying.

"How dare you, Icepaw," Songheart growled. "You NEVER attack any of your clanmates! That's just disgraceful. What's wrong with you?" she snapped. Icepaw quivered in anger but held her pose.

"Well?" Songheart yapped. Hazelpaw stirred.

"S-s-s-she always attacks me," she whimpered. Icepaw was so angry, she saw red. What was wrong with HAZELPAW? But she didn't say anything, she was too smart for that. Icepaw's claws slid in and out repetively. Acornpaw and Slatepaw were still gaping. Icepaw fumed. Why didn't Acornpaw stick up for her? He saw everything.

"Icepaw a-a-a-always gets mad at me," Hazelpaw sobbed, "she's jealous of me, because I like Acornpaw, too... she always pulls me away and gives me death threats!" Icepaw twitched. This was out of line.

"No I don't!" Icepaw yowled to the gathering crowd. Songheart growled, her lips pulled back to a snarl.

"Stop!" ordered a loud voice. The only sound of the clearing was Hazelpaw's fake cries.


	2. Chapter 2

Moltenstar stalked to the cats. Icepaw froze. Her life was all crumbling, and so was the ground underneath her. She was so nervous and so angry.

His head snapped to Hazelpaw, to Songheart, and to Icepaw. He narrowed his eyes at her. Icepaw felt a very angry chill down her spine. Why was everyone on Hazelpaw's side, that dirty lying actor?

"Icepaw," he said with now obvious emotion in his voice, "go up to my den and stay there. I'll come to talk with you later. Hazelpaw, Songheart, Acornpaw, and Slatepaw, come with me." and he stalked off. Icepaw was forgotten there, the eyes of many cats glaring at her. Acornpaw didn't meet her eyes, while Slatepaw just stared at the ground as he walked. Icepaw nearly exploded.

But she just walked to Moltenstar's den, remembering what Havensong told her on her first day of apprenticeship, just keep her head up.

Icepaw reached his den. Though he told her to come inside, she was still feeling a flood of uncertainty. Icepaw took a step in, and gaped in the wonder of how comfortable it was. Icepaw wondered if, if ever she was leader, she'd be able to sleep here, as the worst hunter ever. Icepaw's whiskers twitched and she lay down, head on paws, staring past the curtain of lichen.

Racefire's pelt suddenly came into view. Her calm blue eyes gazed at her. "Icepaw, you can rest, Moltenstar's going to be busy for quite a while," Racefire mewed.

Icepaw raised her head hopefully. "Do you believe her? Hazelpaw?"

Racefire hesitated. "Personally, I don't. I've seen Hazelpaw, and I mean what she is on the INSIDE." Racefire paused, then purred, "my pelt blends with the wackiest things, do you know that? And Icepaw, I've seen who you are. Plus, you're sensible. You kept quiet when Hazelpaw lied like that. I respect you for that, Icepaw." Icepaw gaped. Racefire? Respect? HER? Racefire then gave a smile and walked gracefully out.

Icepaw then re-rested her head on her paws again, her mind spinning. Then she blacked out.

"Icepaw. Icepaw! Iceeepawwwwww." Icepaw's eyes flickered open. Her mouth was set to a confused grimace. What was going on? Then she leapt up. This wasn't Moltenstar's den!

A beautiful blue-gray and white she-cat bounded to her, with a golden tom.

"Hello there, Icepaw," said that blue-gray one friendlily, "I hope we didn't creep you out."

Icepaw gulped. "Uh..."

The golden tom nodded. "We get that a lot."

"But Icepaw," the blue-gray she-cat said, in a very serious tone, "Don't listen to t-"

She broke off. Then both of them disappeared, fading into the distance, eyes wide with fright. Icepaw shuttered continuiously. She was very scared. Then another figure appeared. She was a dark red tabby. The other, a tom, was a long-limbed black and white.

"Greetings, Icepaw," the reddish one said, manner calm and flowing. "I am Cherrymoon. This is Patchfur. We are here... to give you of a prophecy."

Icepaw's ears twitched frightfully.

"_When the earth will crumble, ice will put the pieces together... _we think that it's you, Icepaw." Icepaw was stung. It was true that Snowberry was acting very differently around her, but Icepaw thought that all of them had the wrong idea. Her? Be the "ice"?

"A-a-are you sure it's me? Havensong has the ice pelt. Racefire has the ice eyes. Hazelpaw has the icy manner," Icepaw said with a bitter tone. Cherrymoon smiled. "Yes, we have heard of the Hazelpaw incident. How dare SHE, to make up of those things. We will have to punish her sooner or later." Icepaw winced. As much as she hated Hazelpaw, she didn't feel it right to get revenge. Patchfur read her mind.

"You are so admirable, Icepaw, being noble and all," he said. Icepaw had the faint feeling that they were trying to hoax her into something, but she couldn't help to trust them. When she thought that, both cats rediated this kind of cold feeling. Icepaw shivered. She didn't like it.

"But back to the prophecy," Cherrymoon interupted. 'We think that you have to be the cat. You are named Icepaw, after all."

Icepaw still wasn't giving up. "But my mother, Sunnymask, said that she was either going to name me Icekit or Flowerkit!" she objected.

"But you are named Icepaw."

Icepaw then gave up. They were going in circles. "Well, what am I going to do, then, if I actually AM this "ice"?"

Patchfur smiled. "I thought that you'd never ask."

Then Icepaw fell, fell straight through solid forest floor. As she passed the ground level, eyes wide, she saw Cherrymoon and Patchfur's outlines, dancing in the light, fading.

...

Somewhere, in the camp of Swayclan, a dark ginger tom walked into his den. It was empty.


	3. Chapter 3

"I think she's awake. Hello? Are you awake?" Icepaw stirred feebly, then freaked out. Where was she? This was some deja vu moment...

A face, a fluffy white one, came to view. "Sparkfoot! She awake."

Icepaw looked around. It seemed to resemble her camp. She was surrounded by 3 cats. The white tom, an elderly reddish tom, and a pretty, longhaired tabby.

The tabby frowned. "Where did you find her again, Coolpaw?"

"In Burntstar's den. I was changing his moss. Do you think that she's going to be alright?" he asked the reddish tom. He nodded. "I'm guessing, however she got in, yours is as good as mine. But I have to say- she was deeply unconscious. It seems like she fell out of the sky or something. Icepaw's bright blue eyes flew open. Yes- she remembered now, then groaned. What had those two cats gotten her into?

Coolpaw's head snapped back to hers. "Sparkfoot! Look!" Sparkfoot turned to her.

"Ahh, hello, dear. You've come from quite a fall there, you've nearly broken your leg. But what were you doing in Burntstar's den? How did you even get there?" Sparkfoot's eyes were yellow and guarded. Icepaw's head spun around and around. Coolpaw? Sparkfoot? Burntstar? Where was she? Where was Moltenstar?

"Deerpaw, can you tell Ospreyglint that I can't go to the training session he planned for us," Coolpaw asked sheepishly. Deerpaw's ears flicked. "Why, might I ask?"

Coolpaw's paws shifted but her answered, "I guess I want to look after this cat. Can I, Sparkfoot?" he asked egearly. Sparkfoot shrugged. "I guess, if you can start her talking."

'Heya, foreign cat! I'm Coolpaw. What's you name?"

"..." Icepaw didn't know what to she just sighed resignedly. Whatever Cherrymoon and Patchfur wanted her to do, they didn't explain. But she guessed that she had to do something. "I'm Icepaw. Where am I?" Icepaw noticed that Sparkfoot froze for a moment when she said something. She frowned. He couldn't possibly know the prophecy, too, could he?

But Sparkfoot then relaxed all over again and poked a bundle of silvery-blue fur. With twitch of surprise, Icepaw realized that it was a cat.

"Wake up, Aurorashine, can you get me some fresh tansy, please?" Aurorashine woke up. WIth a pang of shock, this time, Icepaw recognised HAZELPAW'S face in there. What was going on? Coolpaw spoke again.

"Hi, Icepaw. What clan are you in? What are you doing in Swayclan territory?" Coolpaw's voice was guarded now, with only a shred of friendliness. Icepaw gaped.

"Wait, hang on for a moment... SWAYCLAN? Seriously?" Icepaw freaked out for the first time of her life. She felt let go, and she was drifting around by herself. As free as she was, she didn't know where do go. Icepaw calmed down. Coolpaw watched her, confused and suspiscious.

"Yes, Swayclan. What were you expecting? I thought that it was decided, in the last gathering, that Moistclan and Barranclan's territory was split for Swayclan- the WELCOMED clan." Icepaw blinked. She had heard this story before... Talongsong! The elderly she-cat had told her of the story of how Swayclan first came to the clan!

Was the possible that she _had traveled back in time?_

Coolpaw watched her. Icepaw stared into space. Then she snapped out of it. "Uh, yess, of course... I... uh..."

"What clan were you in before, Icepaw?" Sparkfoot asked, eyes not meeting hers." Icepaw didn't know how to answer that.

"Um... I... I was a loner! And..." Icepaw wasn't very good in stressed times. "My... mom was a clan cat, of, uh, somewhere, and... she teached me of the warrior code. We were running from a monster that had gone out of its tracks", Icepaw continued. The story was flowing better now. "when she got run over. I kept on running away from the thought, then I fell off of a cliff (well that part was close enough) then I dragged myself here, when no one was looking..." that part was cheesy.

"Then I blacked out," Icepaw hastily finished. Coolpaw blinked at her, then narrowed his eyes. Icepaw gulped. He was so nice before. But what did he expect? That she was a clanmate, one he never knew about? Coolpaw blinked at here again, and this time his eyes were back to normal. Icepaw gazed bailfully back. Deerpaw sighed. "OK, Coolpaw, I'll see you later." The tan-brown tabby walked out, her tail swinging from side to side, trying to balance her on the ledge. Icepaw stretched her head to see a huge crevice, with tiny shrubs dotting the land. She gulped, curled into a ball, and wondered how Deerpaw had managed to walk through that.

Aurorashine came back, and Icepaw couldn't help but to feel biased- this cat reminded her of Hazelpaw just a tad too much.

"Thanks," Icepaw said, trying to sound polite. But Aurorashine just fixed her icy gaze to her and hissed "You're lucky Sparkfoot's still here. The moment he's gone and I'm in charge, I'm going to poison that for you." she turned and bounded away, leaving Icepaw gaping at her hissyness. Coolpaw had heard everything and yawned.

"Ignore here. Aurorashine's just tired of pretending to be awesome and then being proved that she isn't," Coolpaw mewed. His eyes flicked up, then back to Icepaw. "It's getting late. I might as well get you to the apprentices' den," he said, not knowing what to do next. Icepaw didn't blame him. It wasn't everyday that a weird cat that claims that she's a loner appears magically in the leader's den.

Icepaw got up, winced at her leg, and followed Coolpaw out of the den. Icepaw shivered (global warming in the future :0) and looked around. Plants were everywhere- this was definately one un-inhabited place. Coolpaw noticed her.

"We just moved in, so we're still getting used to it. Burntstar wants the ledge to be worn down, so he wants some plants to be planted there. Of course, Aurorashine despises that idea, as she's too lazy as to move a muscle. It's really hard to get used to this place, as we used to live in a marsh..." of course, Icepaw already knew this- it was the history of her own clan. But Coolpaw realized that he had told her too much and was quiet.

"Well, here we are," he said cautiously, beckoning to a small ledge, covered with brambles and moss. Icepaw blinked. This was where the current nursery was, because a maple tree would grow beside it, making it covered. Icepaw nodded. It looked inviting.

"Well... yeah," Coolpaw said. It was pretty awkward, and Icepaw was grateful when two more cats came over. They were arguing about something.

"Larkpaw, if we damanate the river, it'll flood the best hunting grounds," a sleek, pale golden tabby said.

"But Mothpaw, we'd be able to catch fish. The trees would be excellent cover for us- our shadows wouldn't stir the fish."

Mothpaw wouldn't give up. "Not all of us are like Risingpelt, Larkpaw, we can't catch fish as well as he can. Besides, the river runs through Barranclan. It's their only source of water. We don't want them to suffer, nor do we want a war to start."

Larkpaw frowned. "Yeah, but..."

"You lose," purred Coolpaw. Larkpaw and Mothpaw's heads snapped to his direction, and they said "Hi," but trailed off when they saw Icepaw.

"Who's that?" they said at the same time. Mothpaw's eyes were wide and she was too shocked to react, while Larkpaw's fur was bristling.

"She's Icepaw. She's crashing here for now," Coolpaw explained, puffing his fur out himself, as if he'd fight Larkpaw if he attacked, "I guess Sparkfoot wants her to stay or something." Icepaw's head stirred again. Sparkfoot was the medicine cat- if he wanted her here... he must know about the prophecy.

Larkpaw snarled, "I bet it's because he doesn't want her to spill our secrets now, Coolpaw, as she's already been here, to the rival clans."

"But he said that when she was unconscious," Coolpaw snapped. "Besides, use your brains, Larkpaw, this WAS their territory. They gave it to us. They already know more than we do about it."

"Yeah," Larkpaw retorted, "But she knows about US now."

"Didn't you even listen? I said that he said it when she was unconscious."

"Why don't you argue for yourself, Icepaw?" Larkpaw sneered.

"This has nothing to do with the conversation!" Coolpaw exclaimed.

"Well I want to know if she's a use to Swayclan!" Larkpaw snapped back.

Icepaw couldn't take this any more. "Cut it OUT!" she growled. Both toms stopped and swerved their heads to her. Larkpaw sniffed, "too demanding. She'd probably boss us around to do the wrong things." Before anyone could say anything, he stalked off. Mothpaw frowned after him.

Coolpaw bristled, and, not meeting anyone's eyes, he leaped into the den, said a hasty good night, and curled up. Icepaw's ears twitched.

Mothpaw's gentle voice surprised her. "Ignore Larkpaw, Icepaw, he's just really stressed today. He's been losing all sorts of arguments, and had to take it out on someone. And yes, I'm standing up for him. He is my brother, after all."

Icepaw yawned. "He's your brother? That's great."

Mothpaw smiled. "Coolpaw and Deerpaw are my other siblings, too." Icepaw was shocked.

"Wow! I don't even have a brother or a sister."

"Where's your family?" Mothpaw asked, curious.

"Gone," Icepaw answered, and she somehow felt that it was the truth. Sunnymask and Stormfrost weren't here right now, and they were gone from her. Mothpaw took it the other way.

"Sorry, Icepaw," she sighed.

Icepaw nodded. "Hey, it IS getting dark." she turned to the den. "Are you coming, Mothpaw?"

Mothpaw shook her head. "No, I'm on guarding duty today. But I can't wait until morning, when I'll just sleep till the next dawn."

Icepaw was shocked. "An apprentice, do the whole night? That's not-" Icepaw stopped herself from saying "what we did" just in time, "very relevant. Don't young cats need sleep?"

Mothpaw puffed her chest out proudly. "I guess, but Burntstar trusts us to. He's really easygoing when it comes to rewards. He can make you a warrior if you just keep guarding the camp," Mothpaw said. Icepaw frowned inwardly. Being a warrior because you're derived from sleep and turned, out of force, nocturnal?

"Well, night, Mothpaw!" Icepaw scrambled into the den. Mothpaw's fading reply was lost in the air. Icepaw squeezed through the brambles to a hole, where Coolpaw's cloud-like fur was rising and falling in one corner. Icepaw curled up beside him and went to sleep.

Icepaw gulped. "Uh..."

The golden tom nodded. "We get that a lot."

"But Icepaw," the blue-gray she-cat said, in a very serious tone, "Don't listen to t-"

She broke off. Then both of them disappeared, fading into the distance, eyes wide with fright. Icepaw shuttered continuiously. She was very scared. Then another figure appeared. She was a dark red tabby. The other, a tom, was a long-limbed black and white.

"Greetings, Icepaw," the reddish one said, manner calm and flowing. "I am Cherrymoon. This is Patchfur. We are here... to give you of a prophecy."

Icepaw's ears twitched frightfully.

"_When the earth will crumble, ice will put the pieces together... _we think that it's you, Icepaw." Icepaw was stung. It was true that Snowberry was acting very differently around her, but Icepaw thought that all of them had the wrong idea. Her? Be the "ice"?

"A-a-are you sure it's me? Havensong has the ice pelt. Racefire has the ice eyes. Hazelpaw has the icy manner," Icepaw said with a bitter tone. Cherrymoon smiled. "Yes, we have heard of the Hazelpaw incident. How dare SHE, to make up of those things. We will have to punish her sooner or later." Icepaw winced. As much as she hated Hazelpaw, she didn't feel it right to get revenge. Patchfur read her mind.

"You are so admirable, Icepaw, being noble and all," he said. Icepaw had the faint feeling that they were trying to hoax her into something, but she couldn't help to trust them. When she thought that, both cats rediated this kind of cold feeling. Icepaw shivered. She didn't like it.

"But back to the prophecy," Cherrymoon interupted. 'We think that you have to be the cat. You are named Icepaw, after all."

Icepaw still wasn't giving up. "But my mother, Sunnymask, said that she was either going to name me Icekit or Flowerkit!" she objected.

"But you are named Icepaw."

Icepaw then gave up. They were going in circles. "Well, what am I going to do, then, if I actually AM this "ice"?"

Patchfur smiled. "I thought that you'd never ask."

Then Icepaw fell, fell straight through solid forest floor. As she passed the ground level, eyes wide, she saw Cherrymoon and Patchfur's outlines, dancing in the light, fading.

...

Somewhere, in the camp of Swayclan, a dark ginger tom walked into his den. It was empty.


	4. Chapter 4

Icepaw woke to a dying wind, and shivered. Here she was- back in Starclan grounds. She gazed at the dark sky, with the large, nearly-full moon flickering. Icepaw frowned. There was something wrong about this place... but she couldn't put her paw on it.

"There you are, Icepaw!" explaimed a voice from behind. Icepaw turned, fur puffing. It was the silver-blue cat from her last dream. Icepaw relaxed and blinked.

The golden tabby followed from behind. Icepaw shivered. Both cats were outraged about something. She just hope that they weren't angry at her- they looked extremely though. But the moment they arrived, the atmosphere changed positively, and Icepaw relaxed.

"We... didn't get to introduce ourselves," the she-cat told the tom. He nodded.

"You must be very confused," he said, his voice soft. Icepaw nodded.

"Where are Cherrymoon and Patchfur?" she challenged. The tom narrowed his eyes.

"They're somewhere- where they are supposed to be. But all in all... I'm Lemonclaw, and this is Puddlefoot." Puddlefoot's ears flicked.

"I'm sure that you want to know what's going on."

"What IS going on?" Icepaw probed. Lemonclaw and Puddlefoot exchanged glances.

"Well... Cherrymoon and Patchfur. They are cats of the Forest of No Stars," Lemonclaw growled. Icepaw gaped. The Forest of No Stars? But... that means... what did they want her here for? Surely Starclan could-and would- bring her back, right?

"What am I going to do?" Icepaw whispered.

Puddlefoot licked her ear comfortingly. "Don't worry. They only want you here... because the Forest of No Stars isn't the most pleasant place. They want to be in Starclan grounds. But of course, we don't allow them to. So they came up with the plan to use the prophecy- yes, Icepaw, the prophecy is real- to try and be "good"... but we know what they are going to do."

"What are they going to do?" Icepaw's voice came out in a little voice. She didn't even get what was going on. It was like she was missing something from the conversation.

"I need to fill you out on the whole story," Lemonclaw began. "Well... what they prophecy began, Cherrymoon and Patchfur heard of it. They are very... evil cats," he said lamely. "but they thought that, if they could make the prohecy true, then they would be able to go to Starclan grounds because we owed them for doing that- or something."

"The prophecy, _When the ground crumbles, ice would bring it together_, is thought to be this. There is a boulder by your present clan. Underneath that boulder is a rotting corpse," Puddlefoot said. Icepaw shivered. Disgusting...

"And Cherrymoon and Patchfur reackon that if the cat that was under that boulder was never alive, the corpse wouldn't be there..." Lemonclaw finished.

Icepaw was confused. "But why don't they want the corpse to be there?"

"As we said, it is rotting. It is the foundation of the boulder. As all living things rot, the foundation of the boulder would break apart, and-"

"The boulder would start rolling," Icepaw predicted grimly. Puddlefoot nodded.

"And guess what the boulder's path ends."

Icepaw gave a shaky breath. "Swayclan camp."

Lemonclaw nodded. "Right on."

Then the dream started to shake violently. Puddlefoot rested her head on Icepaw's shoulder. "Be strong. If you complete this mission, Cherrymoon and Patchfur would bring you back. We have to admit that they are right- you have to not let the cat be born to secure Swayclan's safety. There is no other way."

"You can do it, Icepaw," came Lemonclaw's voice.

"But who's the cat?" Icepaw called into the emptyness; they were fading quickly. As the two opened their mouths, only the rumbling of her dream continued, drowning out their words, until nothing became of the dark scene.

Then she woke up.


	5. Chapter 5

Wake up, sleepyhead!" came Deerpaw's voice. Icepaw's eyes fluttered. She gaped her jaws in a mega-yawn. The dream left her without any rest. Deerpaw watched, with her large green eyes, as Icepaw got up. Then she turned to her.

"What time is it?" Icepaw asked.

"Nearly sunhigh!" Deerpaw exclaimed. "Come on, you don't want to be late for your apprentice ceremony..."

"Apprentice ceremony?" Icepaw nearly yowled. One- she was already an apprentice. And two- why were they accepting her so well? Deerpaw attempted to drag Icepaw out of the den. The blinding sun hit her eyes, and Icepaw winced as Deerpaw dropped her on the ground.

"Oops! Sorry. And of course, apprentice ceremony!" Deerpaw giggled. Icepaw's head spun.

"But I just got here! You guys are accepting me so easily?" Icepaw said, repeating her thoughts.

Deerpaw shrugged. "What Burntstarsays, goes." _And what Burntstar says is probably what his advisor says- his medicine cat. Sparkfoot._

Icepaw decided to just go with the flow. "Ok, but PLEASE let me try to clean my fur. It looks like yarn," she purred.

"What's yarn?" Deerpaw said, cocking her head.

"Loner thing," Icepaw made up. Deerpaw nodded. She was relieved- future Swayclan's innovations fit very well with her loner act.

"Hey, um, Ice!" called Coolpaw's voice. Icepaw raised her eyes (do cats have eyebrows? :P). "Coolpaw, loner or not, Icepaw's my name." she purred. Coolpaw was in a good mood today.

"Oh ok." he purred back. "Do you think that Burntstar's going to call you Icepawpaw or something?"

"I hope not," Icepaw gave a mrrw. Who was this Burntstar- she wanted to meet him by hereself. Deerpaw turned her head as a cat called something to her.

"Oh, I have to go, Whispervoice wants me to do something about moss and water. I don't know what. But it's something like that... see yah, guys!" she sped off, her long, striped tail flying behind her. Icepaw immediately started to groom herself.

"Need any help?" Coolpaw offered. Icepaw frowned in her mind. Last time she shared tongues with anyone, she traveled back in time. But heck. "Sure, thanks!"

Coolpaw started to wash the back of her neck. Icepaw closed her eyes. His tongue felt nice, and his smell, it was warm and sweet... Icepaw shook her head. What was she thinking?

Coolpaw stepped back. "What?"

Icepaw blinked. "Uh..." she wildly thought for an explanation for her shaking-of-her-head. "A bee landed on my nose."

She seriously needed to get better at lying. But Coolpaw went for it good enough. "Ok, but it's better not to move. If you do, youll entice it to a fight."

"OK," Icepaw agreed.

"All cats, young and old, gather to Rock-Tree!" that never gets old. Well, not old, as this IS the olden version of it, but... you know what I mean... the same gathering call.

Coolpaw's eyes shone. "You're going to become an official Swayclan apprentice! Whooh!" Icepaw smiled. Official Ancient Swayclan apprentice.. something that doesn't happen everyday in present Swayclan.

Icepaw and Coolpaw turned around to see a bunch of cats (there weren't a lot of them) bundled in a group. Many eyes and ears flickered towards, her, then looked away. _According to Talonsong, these cats have been through so much nothing moved them from the inside anymore... I can tell that she's right. There's basically no reaction to me. It's like I'm just another speck of dust in the air, _Icepaw thought.

"We have a special apprentice ceremony to come to," a large black tom said. This must be Burnstar! He looked nothing special, but then Icepaw saw his eyes. There was something deep and elderly (as in experienced x.x) about those eyes. More cats looked toward her. Icepaw gulped.

"Icepaw, come here," he said gently. Icepaw obeyed, feeling the gazes of about 13 cats on her. What they could be thinking... was it that they thought that one of the other clans gave her as a gift? Or that they kidnapped her. But she seemed calm enough. Must be a gift.

And Icepaw, in a way, was a gift to Swayclan.

"From the eyes of our warrior ancestors," Burntstar said, his golden eyes on her. _As by ancestors, you mean yourselves. :3 _"Icepaw, you will train under an apprentice in Swayclan. From now on, you will keep your name, and will be apprenticed under Twigclaw."

Twigclaw, who Icepaw could tell was a dark brown tabby tom, beamed. "You have trained Ospreyglint well. May you pass your knowlege on Icepaw."

He nodded, bounded up next to Icepaw, and she touched her muzzle on his shoulder. Twigclaw whispered, "I wonder, Icepaw, I wonder." and that was all he said. Icepaw pulled back and saw Deerpaw and Coolpaw chanting her name. Soon the rest of the clan, though slightly uncertain, joined in. Icepaw had the same feeling she did when she was first made an appretnice swell inside of her, though she didn't know who she was trying to impress. Weird.

* * *

"Moorclan! Attack!" Icepaw growled. She had been in Swayclan for 3 days and nearly forgot why she was here. It was like her old life, but without all the cats she loved... but it was Hazelpaw-free, and Icepaw could nearly live with that. But she was going on well.

A dark gray tom about her side suddenly butted his head into her flank. Giving a hiss of pain, Icepaw doubled up and rolled over as he leapt, clawing at his underbelly, which was unprotected. _Betcha didn't see that one coming, did you, _Icepaw hissed in her head.

"Stonepaw!" Icepaw looked around to see a silver tabby racing towards her. Stonepaw rolled off the floor and ran away, tail tucked. Icepaw gulped. It wasn't fair- a cowardly apprentice running away and for his older and more experienced clanmate to fight.

"Oh no you don't, Icestorm," growled Twigclaw, then he came out of nowhere. Icepaw managed to slip away as the two cats tumbled down the meadow, moonlight flickering on it. Icepaw turned and saw Coolpaw battling two younger cats, hissing. Icepaw then tackled one of them on the back. He yowled and slashed out his hind leg to trip her. But Icepaw was one step ahead. _His pelt's too ginger. It stands out in the moonlight. He'd probably expect me to do something like tackle him, with the judgement of his IQ. _Jumping up and landing on his other side, Icepaw then rolled under him. Surprised, the tom's legs buckled from under him and he collapsed. Icepaw then rolled on top of him- now her underbelly was touching his, but soon her legs propelled her up. The tom's eyes, green and wide with defeat, ran away.

Coolpaw was winning against the other cat, a dark gray tabby she-cat. Coolpaw made a gash in her shoulder, not deep, but enough to send her running for her mother.

"Nice one, Coolpaw!" Icepaw purred.

But Coolpaw stood gaping at her. "How'd you do that?" he huffed. Icepaw was surprised. "Do what?"

Coolpaw blinked rapidly. "Do that rolling thingy with the tom. How'd you..."

Icepaw shrugged. "I don't know, natural... let's go, I think that Twigclaw needs help with that silver tabby."

"Icestorm," Coolpaw breathed. They watched in awe as she tripped Twigclaw with a forepaw, then taking another paw and pressing it to his chest. As Twigclaw tried to trip her back with his hind legs, Icestorm then jumped, forcing her full weight on his chest and swiping it. Icepaw, boiling with rage, ran to the two with full force, but Icestorm saw her snowy pelt miles away. Icepaw thought, as she was flung in a pile of leaves, _Now my IQ is even lower than that tom's..._

Soon, Twigclaw's face came to her view. For a split moment, she thought that they were both in Starclan, but then it was not as comfortable as Talonsong described. WIth this week's past events, Icepaw fully believed in her now. Plus, she noticed that Icestorm had purposely just swiped a very shallow cut, but went for the fright.

Coolpaw's face also poked in view. "Wow," he said, "are all cats with the first name of "Ice" gifted in the art of battle or something?"

Icepaw couldn't help purring.


End file.
